Established in 2012 by Andrew Whitley and the late Veronica Burke, Scotland The Bread is at the forefront of transforming Scotland’s food landscape.
This Community Benefit Society is dedicated to growing, milling, and baking more nutritious grains, with a focus on sustainability and food justice.
Collaboration with scientists and farmers, bakers and citizens defines their mission to create a local grain and bread supply chain that prioritises nourishment and the environment. Working with gene banks around the world, the team has revived historic Scottish winter wheat varieties such as Rouge d’Ecosse, Golden Drop, and Hunter’s and introduced evolutionary Nordic wheat and rye landraces.
These ancient grains, known for their resilience in Scottish soils and their superior nutritional content, are being reintroduced to offer a sustainable and healthy food source, with each strain of grain being carefully tested for its nutrient density to offer consumers a healthier alternative to mass-produced flours.
Part One
Flour to the People
At the heart of the business is a commitment to sustainability, with organic farming methods, zero-waste production, and the use of low-energy mills to ensure the process remains environmentally friendly. Scotland The Bread’s impact goes beyond just baking – it’s about reconnecting people with healthy, locally-produced food while tackling issues of food security, climate change and nature loss.
Most wheat grown in Scotland ends up as animal feed or in alcohol production, and much of the flour used in Scottish bread is imported. Scotland the Bread aims to change this by fostering a local grain, flour, and bread supply chain that benefits everyone, addressing food security and supporting climate and nature objectives. Their 'People’s Plant Breeding' research, community breadmaking workshops, and the annual Scottish Festival of Real Bread are just a few examples of their community engagement.
Part Two
Community at the Core
In 2016, Scotland The Bread became a community-owned project, formally known as Bread For Good Community Benefit Society, and achieved charity status in 2018. A successful community share offer raised over £36,000, allowing the initiative to scale up and reach more people. Alongside their flour business, Scotland The Bread runs community workshops, supports local grain-growing groups, and even hosts the annual Scottish Festival of Real Bread (next on February 15th, 2025), fostering engagement with nutritious grains across the country.
Aptly located in Fife – the breadbasket of Scotland – Scotland the Bread works closely with Scotland Food & Drink’s regional food group ‘Food From Fife’ – the food and drink community at the heart of Fife. These connections and shared experiences of other local producers have significantly helped them grow their business and expand their reach.
Through their efforts to date..
Scotland the Bread has nurtured both grains and communities, fostering a deeper connection to the food we eat and the land it comes from. We’ve been lucky enough to witness its rise over the years and look forward to keeping our eyes peeled for their ideal future: one in which everyone across Scotland and the UK has access to wholesome, home-grown real bread.